Driver Crashes Into Retaining Wall in Downtown Corpus Christi

What started out as a hit and run ended in a high speed crash in downtown Corpus Christi on Thursday. Police eventually had to pepper spray one of the men in the car who tried to flee.

"You ain't got to be no hero. Beat me up, or whatever you want to do, you ain't got to be a hero on my time," said 33-year old Robert Lamont Moore, who was placed under arrest for reckless driving, driving with a suspended license and leaving the scene of an accident.

Police believe Moore was driving 80 miles per hour down Leopard before colliding into the retaining wall between uptown and downtown on Upper Broadway.

Why was he in a hurry? According to police, he may have hit another car. Plus, one of the passengers, 35-year old Tommy Douglas, who was in the car, also took off from the scene and was caught trying to dump the contents of a bottle out onto the ground. Police think it might have been a popular 1970s drug in liquid form.

"It's PCP. Angeldust, it was called in the late 70s. It was in powder form. It's starting to show up again in liquid form," said Sr. Officer Tony Gonzalez of the Corpus Christi Police Department. "It's starting to make its way down, and we've seen a whole lot of people using it now."

The liquid will be tested at a Department of Public Safety lab, and the results should be back in there months or so.

Jesus Mora, who was nearly hit by the driver, had a few questions. He said he was almost hit by Moore as the man sped down Leopard. He was working on some underground telephone lines when the speeding car came straight for him.

"I saw the car come driving to us," Mora said. "I started running that way because he was coming straight right there for us."

Kiii New Reporter Michael Gibson went Live from the location of the accident with the latest.